


Captaincy

by Peskychloe



Series: Spinal Injury AU [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: EnnoAka Weekend, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-16 01:44:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11243748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peskychloe/pseuds/Peskychloe
Summary: How Ennoshita and Akaashi became friends.





	Captaincy

There were still only five players in gym 3, and Bokuto was getting restless, Akaashi could feel it.

No one had been able to find Lev for about two hours now, despite the fact they'd arranged to meet for a three on three practice match; there was little chance Kenma was still practising with him, the limit for his patience was normally below thirty minutes.

'There must be other people we can play with!' Hinata said, obviously desperate to get started practising with older, more experienced players.

Akaashi wiped sweat from his forehead as he carried on picking up the balls strewn around the court from Bokuto's spiking practice. 'Kuroo-san, are there any other Nekoma players we could ask?'

'Tora is with Ryuu. Fukunaga is scared of Bokuto. I'm not even bothering to ask Kenma...'

'A first year perhaps?'

Kuroo looked out from under his hair. 'We have enough fresh meat here already. Why do you want one of Nekoma?'

Bokuto jumped up behind Akaashi, startling him so much he dropped the three balls he was carrying. 'It has to be a cat! Otherwise it won't be even.'

'We're wasting time,' Tsukishima grumbled from the corner, 'Just go and find someone or I'm leaving as well.'

Everyone turned to Akaashi. 'Why is this my concern?' he asked.

'Because! You know more people than the two first years, and you're less scary than those two,' Kuroo said, pointing at Bokuto and Tsukishima.

'What's wrong with me?' shouted Bokuto, illustrating Kuroo's point perfectly.

Akaashi turned back to Kuroo. 'And what's wrong with you, pain-in-the-ass?'

'I think you just answered your own question.'

Akaashi wanted to argue, but he just rolled his eyes instead, and wandered off to find someone not otherwise busy.

'Not a wing spiker!' Bokuto shouted after him. 'I want to be the only one here! You can only toss to me.'

'I'm not planning to change teams, Bokuto-san.'

'You better not! You're mine, 'Kaashi!'

He couldn't help but smile at that, but worked to keep his excitement under control. Bokuto didn't mean these things in the way he wanted him to, possibly never would.

He went outside where it was still ridiculously warm, even at six in the evening. This was an unseasonal heatwave for England, with temperatures reaching over thirty at lunchtime, despite it only being May. Most of the teams were sitting on the grass, hoovering up leftover watermelon, begging the managers for more bottles of water, the lucky team from Shinzen were even furnished with ice lollies

As he looked around, he realised he really did know a lot of other second years, especially those who were tipped to be captains next year. Akaashi's name had been thrown around for Fukurodani, and it was a bitter-sweet acknowledgement of the work he'd done with his captain this year.

The only middle blocker he knew of at Shinzen wasn't even sitting with the rest. Chigaya, although another first year, was apparently very skilled, as well as left-handed, like Ushijima. Practising with him would be excellent for everyone, if he could just convince Kuroo. Which he probably could if he could convince Bokuto, which would be fairly easy given how Bokuto was just desperate to get spiking again.

Did he have the confidence to just find a group of people, and ask who was free? He thought probably not.

It was a pity everyone was so opposed to having another member of Karasuno, or indeed a wing spiker, because there was someone he would really like to get involved in their after hours sessions. Pissing off both Bokuto and Kuroo was probably very ill-advised, no matter how much he wanted to watch Ennoshita from across the court.

Ah, but then he caught sight of him sitting alone underneath a tree, every inch of him out of the sun as he read his book. He was still wearing his practice shorts, legs crossed and thighs just poking out from their hem.

He figured it might be worth the third years sulking if he could watch those thighs flexing a bit more.

He walked over to the tree, and stood in front of Ennoshita, hands held loosely behind his back. 'Ennoshita-san?'

He looked up at Akaashi, squinting at the light shining from behind him. 'I thought I told you to call me Chikara?'

'Ah, you did, yes. But I came to ask a favour, so I reverted to being polite.'

'I really don't think you can go back to that,' he said, looking downwards at Akaashi's bare legs in front of him. 'Not after what we did yesterday.'

'That sounds much more incriminating than you possibly mean it.' He pointed to the spot next to Ennoshita under the tree. 'May I?'

He nodded, and shuffled across slightly to give Akaashi space on the rug he was sitting on. Of course Ennoshita had found a rug somewhere, when everyone else was sitting on their jackets. Knowing Ennoshita, he'd brought it to the camp with him.

Akaashi sat with his knees bent and elbows resting on them, hands still lightly clasped. Ennoshita put a bookmark between the pages, and closed his book, attention now focused on Akaashi.

'So. What can I do for you, Keiji?'

'I was wondering if you'd join us for our practice match. No one can find Lev, and Bokuto is impatient to start.'

'Eh...I'd rather not if Kei is playing. Me and him...we don't really see eye to eye.'

'Ah.' Akaashi had sensed some animosity between them during their match, but hadn't known it was this well established. 'Why's that?'

'I don't think he appreciates me telling him what to do.'

'Isn't he a first year?'

'Exactly. I told him he's going to have to get used to it when I'm Captain.'

Akaashi dropped his knees to the floor, mirroring Ennoshita's position. He found it an effective technique when he was trying to connect with someone. 'Maybe you could come and play, and then see how Bokuto gets through to him?'

Ennoshita snorted in an unattractive way that Akaashi didn't care for, and then moved his legs to stretch out in front of him, looking at the book still in his lap. This body language method wasn't working, he couldn't possibly stretch his legs out and still look nonchalant.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Akaashi asked.

'What?'

'The noise. You think you're too good to learn from Bokuto?'

'Maybe I don't _want_ to learn from him. We're not all in love with _Bokuto-san_.'

Akaashi pulled his mouth into a tight, narrow line of displeasure. That was a low shot, and one he hadn't expected after the heart to heart they'd had the day before. Ennoshita had been so nice, all he was trying to do was be helpful in return.

He looked down at his hands in his lap, and was surprised to find he had to blink back hot, angry tears.

It didn't take long for Ennoshita to speak again, and his voice was filled with remorse. 'I'm so sorry. That was unkind. And completely unnecessary.'

'Thank you for apologising.' He looked up to show he meant it with a small smile.

'I'm just so frustrated.' He started digging his fingertips into the grass around him. 'I'm still not getting to play. Everyone else is learning new things, and I'm here, just getting really fucking good at diving receives from all the forfeits.'

'This probably isn't the right time to tell you Bokuto taught Hinata what a feint is today.'

'Oh, brilliant.'

'It'll be fine in the long run. Bokuto will no doubt forget he taught him and be annoyed when Hinata uses it against him. We can all enjoy that face of disbelief. Even those of us not in love with him.'

Ennoshita laughed. Good, he'd timed that joke correctly, he was coming round.

They sat in silence for a minute, a blessed breeze whirling around them, taking off the heat's edge. Akaashi leant his head back to feel it beneath his chin and ruffling through his hair.

Ennoshita turned his head sideways to look at him, and stopped picking at the grass. 'Keiji? Can I ask something? Do you ever think about...if nothing ever happens with Bokuto?'

'Yes. Of course.'

'Time's running out. He's going to university soon.'

'Chikara, this shouldn't really surprise you after what we talked about yesterday, but I don't need reminding of that.'

'I'm not trying to be cruel,' Ennoshita said, reaching a hand out to rest on his knee. 'I don't want you to miss your chance.'

'Like you and the boy with piercings?'

'Yeah.' Ennoshita looked out towards the school, face suddenly sombre. 'Be a shame if he went to university without knowing you loved him.'

'I just don't think I can tell him. What if he doesn't feel the same?'

'Well, then he won't be at your school.'

Akaashi laughed. 'You make it sound so easy!'

'Maybe it is?'

How did Ennoshita always manage to do this? He'd come to persuade him to join in a match, and they'd ended up talking about his crush on Bokuto yet again. He was the only person he'd ever confirmed his feelings to, and that was only because Ennoshita had outright asked, and he found it impossible to lie to him.

If only he wasn't so into Bokuto, what might have happened with Ennoshita?

'Apart from anything else,' Ennoshita continued, 'Who wouldn't be interested in you? Have you seen yourself lately?'

A flush spread up Akaashi's chest, and he hoped it didn't reach his cheeks. 'Well, that's very kind of you, but I'm not even certain Bokuto-san is interested in men.'

Ennoshita's laugh was so loud, the nearest group of players turned and stared. 'From what I've heard, he's into everyone. You never realised him and Kuroo fool around? Plus he _definitely_ had a piece of the boy with piercings, if what I heard was true.'

'What?'

'You don't discuss this stuff in your locker room?'

Akaashi shook his head. None of them discussed their love lives, or lack of them, at least not with him. Sometimes they talked about pretty girls they'd seen, or who might end up marrying Yukie, but nothing more intimate. 'Never.'

'Does that make you more likely to say something? Knowing he's bi?'

It would make him more likely to confess if he knew he was at least in the same ballpark as the other boys Bokuto had spent time with. He thought to himself that he was at least as good looking as Kuroo, if not slightly more so on a good day, but he had no idea who this other one even played for. Ennoshita refused to tell him the name or team of his crush.

'This pierced boy. He's good looking?'

'If you like well-sculpted blondes who look like they could take you roughly against a locker, yes.'

'Chikara!'

Ennoshita dissolved into giggling at Akaashi's indignation. 'You never think about stuff like that?'

'Well, of course! But I don't...is this how you all talk at Karasuno?'

'Nooooooo,' he said, shaking his hands in front of him, 'Just with the other second years. Ryuu hears a lot of gossip from Tora and Mad Dog.'

'So why are you like this with me?'

He laughed again. Akaashi was starting to really enjoy the sound. 'Dunno, really. You've been really honest with me, so...I feel comfortable with you, I guess?

Akaashi had literally no one in his life he spoke to like this, and he certainly wouldn't dare talk like this with Bokuto, despite him being his closest friend. It was a bit too close to the secret thoughts running rampant in his mind.

He had to admit, he liked this feeling of talking so openly about the feelings he'd been hiding for years. Ennoshita was so open about his attractions, it made him jealous of his confidence, but also happy to know him. Friendship with Bokuto was so focused on volleyball; he liked seeing Bokuto playing well, but he liked watching Ennoshita laughing just as much.

'I feel comfortable with you, too.'

The words were barely out of his mouth, and Ennoshita was leaning in, hiding their faces behind his book.

He paused for a second, waiting to see what Akaashi did, and then pressed their lips together gently.

Just as suddenly, he put the book back in his lap, and went back to his original position. It was like the kiss had never happened, except for the fact Akaashi could still feel a flutter in his chest from it.

'Good,' said Ennoshita, 'Well, maybe after you finish your practice match, we could go somewhere and carry on doing that some more?'

So it definitely did happen, and Ennoshita wanted it to happen some more. Huh.

The phone in his pocket buzzed. He pulled it out to see a message from Kuroo.

' _Hey! Kenma and Lev came back, and somehow Bokuto persuaded them to join in a match. So you are free, my little amigo, to carry on doing whatever it is you're doing with Karasuno's bench warmer under that tree._ '

He didn't want to miss this chance, he wasn't sure when it might be presented to him again. Bokuto was still at his school for a few more months, there was time to confess. Right now, he wanted to see if Ennoshita was as much fun as he thought he might be beneath his straight face.

Akaashi held up his phone. 'Kuroo says the match started without me. We can go somewhere now if you want.'

'Cool.' He stood up, and folded up his rug, tucking it underneath his arm, then put a hand out to pull Akaashi up from the floor. 'I'm sure we can both still learn new things without the third years.'

  
  


 


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